Troll
A Troll is a magical creature of prodigious strength and immense stupidity. In fact, they are so stupid that they actually had a wizarding exam failing grade named after them. Trolls are grouped in the taxonomical genus Troglodytarum.Illustration of Diagon Alley by Jim Kay from the Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition of (see here). History Trolls originated in Scandinavia, but are now found all across Europe. Artemius Lawson was an outspoken advocate for the strict restraint of trolls. He thought it was wrong to allow them to roam free, stating that "they were creatures who weighed a ton, but had brains the size of a bogey". A Troll was Quirrell's contribution to guarding the Philosopher's Stone. Description Physical appearance Trolls generally reach a height of about twelve feet and weigh up to a tonne. Troll whiskers have magical properties, and are sometimes used as wand cores. Their feet have two toes, both with giant toenails. Behaviour They are dangerously violent and incredibly aggressive, and then engage in unpredictable behaviour, comparable to giants. They are also incredibly low in intelligence, to which giants seem to have more of. Diet Trolls, similar to Acromantulas, have a taste for human flesh. They enjoy it raw, but are not fussy about what they eat. Trolls are also fond of fish. - see this video Society and Culture Troll language is nothing more than simple grunts that only Trolls seem to be able to interpret, though skilled magical multi-linguists such as Barty Crouch can understand them. Trolls understand only a limited number of Human words, and some smarter ones can be skillfully trained as security Trolls. Professor Quirrell had a gift for communicating with Trolls, and then used it to set one loose in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991 in an effort to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Sub-species There are four different types of Troll, each with its own highly unique set of physical differences. *Mountain Troll *Forest Troll *River Troll *Part-Troll (apparently) A sub-type is the Troll of Nadroj, a kind of troll with disproportionate hands. Security trolls, the smartest troll specimens, are skillfully trained to guard several wizarding locations. Behind the scenes *In the Philosopher's Stone book and PS1/GBC game, there is a room with a troll that belongs to Professor Quirrell. However, in the film, this scene was omitted. *In , Ron Weasley draws a picture of a troll and describes Gregory Goyle as one. *In the video game adaptation of , "Security Trolls" are made in the last parts of the game. They are shown to be watching the library, and will end the game if they catch the player. To distract them, Ron must throw a Dungbomb around one. If close enough, the Troll will walk towards them. Humourously, when a Troll walks to a Dungbomb, they seem to lose sense of the player. *Harry Potter once speculated that Marcus Flint has some traces of Troll blood in him; however, this might be simply to insult Flint's stupidity and appearance. *When Ron Weasley was captured by Snatchers in 1997, he told them he was Stan Shunpike, due to them not looking very intelligent, and even speculated that one of them might have been part-Troll, judging by his odour. *In , if someone casts a spell at a security troll, they can create an expansive wave in self-defence. *Troll whiskers may be used in wand cores, though they are considered inferior to the Supreme Cores. *There is some contradiction as to the ability of trolls to perform magic. In , it states that trolls have no magic powers other than their naturally enhanced strength. However, one of the questions on the Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test, when taken with information on the Patronus Charm from , implies that both hags and trolls can use rudimentary magic. *After the details of the Sorting ceremony were revealed in 1991, Ron stated that he was going to kill his brother Fred, who had suggested that the test to get into Hogwarts involved wrestling a troll. *Though often derided as stupid, trolls are obviously intelligent, or at least sapient, beings. This is seen in their wielding of weapons, dressing themselves, and their attempts to domesticate other beasts (such as graphorns). This indicates that trolls are early to mid Stone Age in terms of culture, and likely possess rudimentary intelligence. However, they were either not considered intelligent enough to understand the laws of the wizarding world or could not control their violence, as the Ministry of Magic did not grant them being status. See also *Inflate-a-Troll Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *''Daily Prophet Newsletters'' * * * * * * * * * * Notes and references fr:Troll fi:Peikko ru:Тролль pl:Troll pt-br:Trasgo no:Troll Category:Mascots Trolls Category:XXXX Creatures